The present invention relates generally to computer systems and more particularly to a wire protocol for communications between a media server system and a client.
The use of computer networks has been gaining popularity. Local area networks have become commonplace in business environments, and residential users have begun to connect to computer networks, such as the Internet. Multimedia applications that generate multiple media output, such as audio output and video output, have also been gaining popularity. As such, it is not surprising that there has been an increase in the number of multimedia applications available on computer networks. In general, multimedia data has been transported across computer networks using transport protocols such as TCP/IP, but there has been no protocol present on top of such transport protocols for facilitating efficient and useful communications between clients and multimedia servers.
The present invention overcomes the limitations of the prior art by adding an additional layer on top of a transfer protocol layer to facilitate communications between a client on a first computer and a media server on a second computer. In accordance with a first aspect of the present invention, a method is practiced in a computer network that has a media server for storing data and a client. Per this method, a wire protocol is provided that facilitates creation of connections between the media server and the client. The wire protocol is utilized to create a control connection between the media server and the client to facilitate exchange of control information. The wire protocol is also used to create a data connection between the media server and the client that facilitates the exchange of data between the media server and the client at a rate substantially equal to a rate at which the data is consumed by the client.
In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, a control connection is created to enable control information to pass between a media server and a client computer in a distributed system that are on separate computers. A data funnel connection is created to enable data to be transferred between the media server and the client at a rate substantially equal to the rate at which the client consumes data.
In accordance with an additional aspect of the present invention, a first request for service is sent from a client to a media server. The first request includes a first identifier that uniquely identifies the first request. A second request for service is also sent from the client to the media server. The second request includes a second identifier that uniquely identifies the second request and that differs from the first identifier. The media server asynchronously services the first request and returns an acknowledgment to the client. The acknowledgment includes the first identifier. The media server asynchronously services the second request and returns an acknowledgment that includes the second identifier.
In accordance with a further aspect of the present invention, a method of decreasing network traffic is practiced in a computer network that has a media server connected to a client via a network connection. Multiple messages are batched into a single message at the client. A single message is then sent from the client to the media server. The media server unbatches the multiple messages and processes each of the multiple messages.
In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, a method is practiced in a distributed system that has a media server for storing files holding data of multiple media, and a client for requesting service from the media server. A control connection connects the media server and the client to pass control information, and a data connection connects the media server and the client to pass data. Per the method of this aspect of the present invention, a read request message is sent from the client to the media server over the control connection. The read request message requests that data in a file of multiple media data stored at the media server be read and output to the client. A read request acknowledgment message is sent from the media server to the client over the control connection to acknowledge the read request message. The requested data is then forwarded from the media server to the client over the data connection.
In accordance with yet another aspect of the present invention, a write request message is sent from a client to a media server over a control connection. The write request message requests that data from the client be written into a file at the media server. A write request acknowledgment message is sent from the media server to the client over the control connection to acknowledge the write request message. The data to be written is forwarded from the client to the media server over the data connection, and the forwarded data is written into a file at the media server.
In accordance with a further aspect of the present invention, a computer system is part of a distributed system that has a media server for storing files that hold data of multiple media. The computer system includes a control connection generator for generating a bidirectional control connection between the media server and the computer system. The control connection enables control information to be passed between the media server and the computer system. The computer system also includes a data connection generator for creating a bidirectional data connection between the media server and the computer system. The data connection enables data to be passed between the media server and the computer system.